South Korea: Key steel manufacturer selects MIR 9000e for NOx emission monitoring

South Korea launched in 2015 the 3-phase Korean Emission Trading System (KETS), becoming the second-largest carbon market after the EU ETS.

KETS is indeed designed to play an important role in meeting Korea’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of 37% below Business As Usual (BAU) emissions. It has been implemented to encourage large-scale greenhouse gas emitters such as power generation companies and steel companies.

The government set an overall limit of emissions allowed by setting each phase of KETS as three to five years and each business can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions directly or buy emission permits considering the reduction costs. This provides flexibility for a cost-effective greenhouse gas reduction process across the country.

The KETS program applies to companies with an average annual total of 125,000 tons or more of GHG emissions over 3 years, companies with 25,000 tons or more, and voluntarily applied as designated allocators. Pollutants to be managed are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrogen fluorocarbon (HFCS), perfluorocarbon (PFCS), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

For each phase of KETS, the ministry of environment and local authorities agree on a master plan that includes ELVs for all industrials.

SeAH manufactures stainless steel with a production capacity of 1.2 million tons/year.

The group is the leading special steel manufacturer in South Korea and produces a variety of high-tech materials for industries such as automotive, power generation and electronics.